{"title":"Operating Cash Flows and Earnings Target Revision: Evidence from Annual Cash Bonus Plans for CEOs","authors":"L. Li, Shuyang Wang, Wei Zhu","doi":"10.2308/JMAR-19-037","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"We empirically examine the impact of operating cash flows on future earnings targets in CEOs' annual cash bonus plans. Using target and actual compensation earnings-per-share (EPS) disclosed in proxy statements of large U.S. public firms, we find that operating cash flows have no significant incremental effects on the revision of future earnings targets in the presence of current earnings. We also observe a positive association between future target achievability and current operating cash flows, indicating that firms with higher operating cash flows set significantly easier future earnings targets for their CEOs. These findings suggest that the higher persistence of operating cash flows in predicting future earnings is not fully incorporated into target setting. Further analyses reveal that the positive association between future target achievability and current operating cash flows is attributable to both expectation bias and contractual considerations to reward CEOs who deliver greater cash flows and to limit activities that sacrifice cash flows.","PeriodicalId":46474,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Management Accounting Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2021-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Management Accounting Research","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2308/JMAR-19-037","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"BUSINESS, FINANCE","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
We empirically examine the impact of operating cash flows on future earnings targets in CEOs' annual cash bonus plans. Using target and actual compensation earnings-per-share (EPS) disclosed in proxy statements of large U.S. public firms, we find that operating cash flows have no significant incremental effects on the revision of future earnings targets in the presence of current earnings. We also observe a positive association between future target achievability and current operating cash flows, indicating that firms with higher operating cash flows set significantly easier future earnings targets for their CEOs. These findings suggest that the higher persistence of operating cash flows in predicting future earnings is not fully incorporated into target setting. Further analyses reveal that the positive association between future target achievability and current operating cash flows is attributable to both expectation bias and contractual considerations to reward CEOs who deliver greater cash flows and to limit activities that sacrifice cash flows.
期刊介绍：
The mission of the Journal of Management Accounting Research (JMAR) is to advance the theory and practice of management accounting through publication of high-quality applied and theoretical research, using any well-executed research method. JMAR serves the global community of scholars and practitioners whose work impacts or is informed by the role that accounting information plays in decision-making and performance measurement within organizations. Settings may include profit and not-for profit organizations, service, retail and manufacturing organizations and domestic, foreign, and multinational firms. JMAR furthermore seeks to advance an understanding of management accounting in its broader context, such as issues related to the interface between internal and external reporting or taxation. New theories, topical areas, and research methods, as well as original research with novel implications to improve practice and disseminate the best managerial accounting practices are encouraged.
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